Western Bay of Plenty parking cameras: Katikati and Te Puke to have three-month trial

An example of the roving cameras on a Western Bay of Plenty District Council car.

Roving parking cameras are being trialed in Katikati and Te Puke to see if they would be of benefit to the Western Bay District.

The three-month trial, by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, will use the License Plate Recognition system, which is already used by several councils, including Tauranga City Council.

The high-resolution cameras will capture licence plates and GPS locations of parked cars, to identify those that have parked for longer than the designated time limit, or that are parked illegally, for instance on yellow lines, the Western Bay council said in a statement.

No tickets would be issued as a result of the trial.

The council was exploring the technology for several reasons, the council’s team leader compliance support Sophie Scholes said.

“In recent years we have seen an increase in aggression towards parking officers. The cameras would allow them to do their job safely, without having to leave the car.”

An example of the roving cameras on a Western Bay of Plenty District Council car.

Another safety consideration was drivers causing hazards by parking where they shouldn’t, she said.

“Parking on yellow lines outside schools at drop-off and pick-up times is a growing problem. The LPR system would help identify who is parking on the lines and act as a deterrent for unsafe parking.”

It would also encourage a greater turnover of car parks in the town centres, which would benefit shops and businesses.

“During the trial we will be collecting data and analysing it to see whether this is something that could help us keep a closer eye on parking and make our towns both safer and more accessible,” Scholes said.

“You can expect to see our car around town, with two cameras on top, over the next 12 weeks, but we won’t be issuing any tickets for vehicles caught on camera.

“If we do decide to go ahead, following the trial, we will give people plenty of advance warning.”

-SunLive